


She's New to Danville | Lumbermaxes x [Shy, F.] Reader

by MeMyselfandI2008



Category: Milo Murphy's Law
Genre: Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Fluff, Minor Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Originally Posted on Wattpad, POV Second Person, Post-Episode: s01e19 Battle of the Bands, Pre-Episode: s01e19 Battle of the Bands, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, Shyness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24192676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeMyselfandI2008/pseuds/MeMyselfandI2008
Summary: Having just arrived in Danville, you weren't sure what to expect from the city that has gained traction for it's odd events and even odder residents.Something you definitely found unexpected was an offer to join a group that called themselves the Lumbermax. Upon joining the group, you slowly developed feelings for each of the boys, but are unsure of how to deal with these new found emotions, as you fear of possible heartbreak or fighting between the members.What could you possibly do in such a foreign situation?This was a story request by MoonlightChild1988 on Wattpad.Abbreviations Guide:(Y/N) - Your name(L/N) - Last name(E/C) - Eye color(F/N) - Father's name(M/N) - Mother's name
Relationships: Lyle (Milo Murphy’s Law)/Reader, Max (Milo Murphy’s Law)/Reader, Melvin (Milo Murphy’s Law)/Reader, Sean (Milo Murphy’s Law)/Reader
Kudos: 3





	1. Welcome to Danville

The apartment was pressed in between two buildings, white paint chipping off in various places, while a tree sat in front of it, seeming to block the front door from anyones view. You didn't mind moving. It was only normal in your family. Your parents would move to various houses, fix them up, and sell them for double the price. Sometimes they wouldn't mind negotiating, if you were reasonable. Though, you often wished you would stay somewhere a little longer than a year, giving you a chance to make new friends, instead of just being by yourself for most of your life.

"It may not need much fixing up, but we're probably gonna stay here for longer than normal," your mom explained as you helped her carry several items up the stairs, "So, you should be able to make some friends while we're here," she continued, turning to give you a small smile, tucking a strand of her sandy blond, red tipped hair behind her ear, "I've heard the residence here are pretty interesting people."

"Oh, please," your dad spoke up from beside the moving van, pulling out a box and briefly adjusting his glasses, "You know half the stuff that happens in this town is nothing but a lie," he might have come off as harsh to anyone else, but it wasn't hard to hear the smile in his voice as he spoke, "I mean, _come on_ ," he said with fake exasperation, walking up the stairs to join you and your mom, "Llama stampedes, runaway fire trucks, falling rollercoasters, an evil group of super villeins called L.O.V.E. M.U.F.F.I.N.," he placed the box he was carrying beside the front door, fishing for the house keys in his pocket, "It all sounds _pretty_ ridiculous, if you ask me."

You couldn't help but smile at your dad's words, unable to get over the fact that a group of supposed super villeins decided to call themselves "love muffin." It was pretty unbelievable, all the stuff you've heard from your parents about this city. You were honestly a little nervous when they decided to pick this place for their new project, but the more you thought about it, the more you figured all of it was just a big tourist trap to get people to come visit, or something along those lines.

"Now, dear, don't be like that," your mom spoke up, giving your dad a light nudge in the side with her elbow, "I'm sure this place will be full of surprises. Especially with a group of super villeins in town."

He let out a light laugh in response, pulling out the house keys and unlocks the front door, taking in a deep breath of that new house smell, "Fixing up this beauty will be just great," he stated, picking up a few boxes and walking them inside, "I can see it now," he began, rambling on about what could go where, color palates, and decorations.

You picked up one of the lighter boxes, and followed your dad into the house, ready to start your new life in a new town, where very strange things happen.


	2. People Watching

You let out a small hum, looking over your room set up. You managed to put it together quiet nicely, if you're being honest. You had shifted your bed, with the help of your parents, into the corner of the room, and hung up an assortment of white Christmas lights around it. Your dad also suggested adding on a thin curtain, pinning it up to the ceiling and shifting it a bit to fit in with the decor.

The benefits of having parents who majored in design are absolutely great.

"Well, now that this room is all set up, why don't you go ahead and explore the town a bit?" your mom suggested from in the door way, "There's a park near here, too," she tagged on, a wide smile on her face, "It could be great for people watching," her voice shifting into a sing-song tone, doing her best to convince you to go out and enjoy the new surroundings.

"I do like people watching..." you silently muttered, debating on whether you should go out or stay home and help fix up the apartment.

"Go out and have fun! We've got everything covered here," your dad spoke up, from in the hallway, immediately letting out a soft curse after a light thud was heard.

"Jar," your mom stated in reply, gesturing in the direction of the swear jar.

You smiled softly at their interaction, grabbing your phone and headphones that you had tossed on your bed, "Alright, I'll head out then," you said, waving goodbye to your parents as you made your way to the front door and exited the apartment.

+

You wandered down the street of your new neighborhood, humming along to the song you were listening to, examining various surroundings. You were actually pretty excited to go people watching. With all you've heard about the people in this city, you were curious to see just how bizarre they could be.

 _Maybe I'll run into a that super villein group_ , you thought, letting out a light laugh in amusement. It was still hard for you to understand how a group of villains decided on the name "love muffin." It was more cute, than foreboding.

As you arrived at the park, you took a seat on a nearby bench tucked beside numerous thin trees that made decent shade, leaning back and shifting your gaze around your surroundings, a small smile resting on your face.

There was a boy and girl tossing a frisbee back and fourth. A group of kids were playing tag, while their parents talked amongst themselves, occasionally glancing at their kids or calling out to them for being too reckless. Two boys sat on the ground together, looking through various books, one of them jotting down notes as the other spoke. An adult was flying a dragon shaped kite, raising it high in the clear sky. Four boys were handing out sheets of paper to various girls that passed by, pulling a little charisma out of their pockets.

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes, absentmindedly humming along to the song, losing yourself in your thoughts.

A light tap on your shoulder soon took hold of your attention. You quickly turned to see one of the boys who was handing out papers had stepped in front of you, a smirk playing on his face. You pulled out your headphones muttering a quiet, "Yes...?" as you placed the headphones around your neck.

"Hello there, beautiful!" he greeted, "Names Max."

You blinked, feeling your face grow hot from embarrassment. You fiddled with the sleeves of your green sweatshirt, "Uh... Are you..." you slowly started, sitting up and turning your head in various directions, as if searching for something, "Talking to _me_...?" you asked, turning your gaze back to the brown haired boy, pointing a finger at yourself.

"Of course I am," he replied, a sly smirk on his face, gesturing to the empty space beside you, "Care if I take a seat?"

You shook your head, scooting over slightly, allowing him to sit down, "Um, who exactly are you?" you asked, feeling a weight form in your stomach. You were never really good at social interactions, and were always paranoid about saying the wrong things.

The boy offered you a sheet of paper, the smirk still present on his face, "Like I said, names Max. I'm lead singer in Lumbermax," he explained, "We're looking for a new female singer, you know?"

 _No, I don't..._ you couldn't help but think, taking hold of the well designed flyer and looking over what was written on it.

"We're trying to cater to all demographics, instead of strictly a female audience, and—"

 _Guys could already enjoy your music_ , your thoughts countered, _Unless you're bad at making music._

"So, we figured adding a girl would give our audience someone to relate to, and sell more albums in the teen boys department," he continued on, stretching out his arm and resting one of them behind your back, "And I think you'd be a perfect fit," he hummed, "You've got great hair, a pretty smile, and..." he briefly looked you over, "You'd look great in flannel."

Your face was bright red at this point, feeling tongue tied and embarrassed, "Er, um, I..." you tried to from a coherent sentence, but couldn't find the right words. You had just moved here, and already, you were being flirted with and offered to join a band you've never heard of, "Uh, I—I'll think about it, but, uh," you quickly sputtered out, standing up from the bench, clutching the flyer in your hands as if it was some type of life line, "I think I hear my laundry calling!" you exclaimed, turning and quickly walking off, back to your house.

"Audition info is written out on the flyer!" you heard Max call after you, "Hope to see you there!"

You swallowed, turning your attention back to the crinkled flyer, slowing your walk, "I guess it couldn't hurt..." you quietly spoke out loud, a thoughtfulness in your voice. Maybe you could bring it up to your parents and see what they think.

+

"You're sure you can handle singing in front of crowds?" your dad asked, a worried look in his eyes.

You had just told your parents about the offer, watching them to see what their reactions where as they looked up from their work on the dining room table.

"I mean, I think so...?" you replied, feeling your anxiety rise at the thought of having to sing in front of a huge crowd.

"Well, in the end, it's your choice, dear," your mom spoke up, getting up from the kitchen table and placing a hand on your shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, "It would be good for you to make some new friends, but if you don't feel comfortable, we wont force you," she explained, offering a small smile.

You hummed thoughtfully, shifting your gaze between your parents, a small smile gracing your face, "I'll try it out," you finally spoke after a moment of silence.

"Alright, then," your dad spoke up, "I'll go ahead and drop you off when the auditions start."

"Don't get over protective, okay, (F/N)?" your mom stated in an exasperated tone.

Your dad blew a raspberry in response, "Me? Over protective?" he spoke sarcastically, gesturing to himself, "Never."

The response earned an eye roll from your mom, who shook her head fondly and gave your hair a light ruffle, messing up the black bow you had tied it back in, proud of you for getting out of your comfort zone, even if it was baby steps.


	3. Auditions

You took a deep breath, turning your head in the direction of the open garage door with various girls inside, preparing to show off their skills.

"It's not too late to change your mind," your dad spoke up from the drivers seat, a nervous look in his eyes.

"I'll be fine," you reassured, turning to him and offering a wavering smile, "After all, it'd be good for me to make some new friends," you tagged on, placing your hand on the car door, popping it open.

A small hum left your dad, his gaze still filled with worry, "Alright..." he muttered in reply, "Just let me know when to pick you up."

You gave a small nod in reply, waving goodbye as you shut the car door and made your way across the street, briefly glancing at the flyer to triple check that you had the right house. It wouldn't have been the first time you accidentally ended up at a strangers doorstep. Slowly, you shuffled towards the group of girls, who were talking amongst themselves, not having spared you any mind as you tucked yourself in a corner of the empty garage, tapping your hands against your legs and watching the different girls talk with some confidence about what they planned to do in order to impress the judges.

 _Speaking of judges..._ you thought, spotting the group of boys entering the garage and placing themselves at the white table that sat in front of the open garage door.

One of them, a blond boy, had a clipboard in hand, appearing much more serious than the other group members. The taller boy in the group was scrolling through his phone, a bored expression on his face. Max had kicked his feet up on the table, leaning the chair back and balancing in a manner that you feared would result in his head possibly splitting open. The final member, a black haired boy, was resting his chin in the palm of his hand, eyes half lidded, bags under them.

"First up," the blond boy spoke up, shifting his gaze from the clipboard towards the girls, scanning everyone over, "You," he stated, using a pen to point at a tall, blond girl, "Say your name and the song you're planing to sing for us."

"Right!" the girl chirped, taking her place in front of the table, behind the white tape on the floor that you hadn't even noticed.

+

One by one, each girl went, every one of them showing so much talent and potential. You felt your stomach twist at each girl's performance, wondering if you could be half as good as they were. You didn't consider yourself a bad singer, but you didn't see yourself as great either. Despite what your parents told you, you always considered yourself mediocre. What song would you even sing? You hadn't given it much thought.

"Looks like you're the last one," the blond spoke up, exasperation in his voice, "Say your name and song, like the other girls," he repeated, writing something down on the clipboard.

You took a deep breath, taking your place on the white tape like the girls previous to you, "I'm (Y/N) (L/N), and I'm going to be singing..." you trailed off, thinking over your options, "I'm singing a small segment of 2002 by Annie Marie."

The blond boy nodded, jotting down something on the piece of paper, "Alright, three, two," he paused at the last number, pointing to you as a sign to begin.

Clearing your throat one last time, you began to sing.

At first you couldn't help the tightness in your chest, anxiety eating away at you, but it quickly subsided, and you began to lose yourself in the song, closing your eyes to feel more at peace in the crowded room.

+

"Thank you everyone, again, for volunteering," the blond spoke to the group of girls that had lined themselves up in front of the table, "But as you know, only one of you can be part of our group," he continued, gesturing to the other band members. He looked down at his clipboard, glancing over it for several minutes before stating several names, "You ladies were lovely, but I'm afraid you're not quiet what we're looking for," he stated.

You swallowed thickly, your throat tightening with nerves. You weren't sure what to expect, or if you'd even get into the band, and the fact that so many of the girls, with so much talent, were quickly picked off worried you.

Several more names were called out, and several more girls told to leave, all of them looking somewhat dejected.

"Finally, you two," the blond shifted his gaze from his clipboard, eyeing you and the remaining girl, "Both of you hold much potential, and have many of the same attributes we're looking for in a group member—"

"So," Max quickly cut in, standing up from his chair with a wide grin on his face, "We need a tiebreaker."

You noticed the blond shoot a sideways glare at Max for interrupting him, quietly muttering something under his breath.

"Both of you get one last chance to really show us what you're made of, so give it all you've got," Max explained, giving you and the other girl a quick wink.

"Thank you, Max, for explaining the process for me," the blond dryly replied, his attention focusing from Max to you and the girl, "You've got five minutes to relax, pick a song, then come over here when we call you up," he informed.

You and the girl exchanged a look before nodding in reply, the two of you shifting towards different sections of the garage.

You thought carefully about the song you wanted to sing next, briefly fixing your hair and glancing at your watch to check the time, _Maybe... Mine by Phoebe Ryan?_ you thought, nodding your head in conformation. Quickly, you messaged your dad to come pick you up, knowing it'd be a while before he arrived.

Once the five minutes were up, the blond member called up the girl to sing her song, then you were up next, giving it all you had, despite the knots your stomach had twisted itself into.

The band quietly talked amongst themselves, shifting their gaze's between the two of you. After a moment, the blond member turned his focus to the two of you, "We appreciation the two of you coming out here for the audition, despite that you may not get the part," he paused, shifting his focus to the girl beside you, "I'm sorry, Amanda," he spoke gently, "You've got a lovely voice, and stunning feature's, but you're just not the right fit for our band."

The girl beside you, Amanda, sniffed, wiping her eye with her hand, "Right," she muttered dejectedly, "I understand..." she quietly made her way out of the garage, shooting you a sad smile as she left.

"(Y/N)."

You turned your attention towards the Lumbermaxes at the sound of your name being said, "Uh, yes?" you uttered in reply, still completely shocked that you managed to win the spot of the female singer.

"Congratulations," the blond spoke, a smile present on his face, "You'll need to fill out some paper work," he explained, flipping through various papers on his clipboard, holding out his hand, clearing his throat to signal for one of the members to hand him a pen.

"Does it matter the color?" the taller boy asked, digging through a pencil pouch that sat on the table.

"No, Melvin, it doesn't," the blond replied, somewhat impatiently.

The taller boy, Melvin, apparently, pulled out a blue pen, handing it to the blond, who quickly wrote something down, then handed it off to you, "Just read over everything and make any adjustments about your information you see fit and sign at the bottom," he explained.

You took the clipboard and pen, looking over the paper and fixing a minor error in your name, adding the rest of the information as requested, before signing it and holding it out to the blond.

"Thank you," he hummed, "I'm Lyle," he informed, holding out his hand, which you immediately shook, "Taller one is Melvin," he continued, gesturing to said band member, who gave a small smile and wave in reply, "You've already met Max," he breathed, somewhat exhausted. Max gave a smirk and wink in reply, "And next to him is Sean—"

"Hi!" Sean cut Lyle short, offering you a big grin, an excited look gracing his face, despite how tired he appeared.

"Hey, it's nice to meet all of you," you greeted, offering them a nervous smile.

"Alright, we'll add you to the band group chat and message you all the information you need for our upcoming performance," Lyle explained, briefly glancing over the new information you had written down.

You nodded in reply, unsure of what else to do.

A loud honk sounded from in front of the garage.

"Ah, my ride's here," you stated, quickly approaching the car, "Um, I'll be seeing you all later, then!" you called to them as you left, waving goodbye.

"Yeah, see you at our next rehearsal!" Lyle called, returning your wave.

You quickly pulled open the passenger side door and got in, shutting it behind you.

"So," your dad began, starting the drive home, "How'd it go?" he asked, briefly glancing at you before keeping his gaze on the road.

"I'm am official member!" you replied, "And I'm a little nervous now," you admitted, "There was so many girls that were better than me, and yet I managed to win the spot they tried so desperately for..." you trailed off, leaning your head against the car window.

"Maybe the boys saw something in you that they didn't in the other girls," your dad replied, simply, as a means of comfort, " _Or_ they just liked you more."

You blew a raspberry in response, "Yeah, right, dad, like a group of guys all collectively saw me and thought, 'She looks nice, let's get her in the band,'" you deadpanned, rolling your eyes at the mere thought.

"Hey, you never know," your dad hummed, giving you a knowing look.

You shook your head, keeping your gaze out the window, a small smile on your face.


	4. Schedules, Schedules Everywhere

A loud huff escaped you as you fell face first onto your bed. You hadn't realized how exhausted you were from the auditions until you had arrived back home. You closed your eyes, ready to let sleep take hold of you, when—

 _BIZZ_ , _BIZZ._

You groaned, pulling your phone from your front pocket and staring at the screen, finding that it was a message from an unfamiliar number.

 _Hey, (Y/N), this is Lyle_ , the message read, _Welcome to the group chat. Everyone, sound off._

Immediately, your phone was bombarded with notifications from the boys.

_Yo, (Y/N), Max here!_

_Hey, I'm Sean._

👋 _Melvin_

 _Oh, wow, Mel_ , Max typed out, _Ur not even gonna say hi?_

 _I did say hi_ , Melvin replied to the message.

You quickly went to type out a greeting, a million questions filling your mind, _Hey, guys! Uh, so, is there anything I need to know about?_

 _Here,_ Lyle typed, sending a photo of the practice schedule, _We're also going to need your measurements for the uniform, so dress light tomorrow. Practice is the same place as auditions._

 _Uuugggghhhhhh, so formal_ , Max replied to the message, _Cant u lighten up Lyle????_

 _Well, not everyone can be as care free as you, Max_ , Lyle responded.

You quickly began to type out a reply in hopes of avoiding an argument, _Thanks for all the info! I'll be sure to let my parents know about what's going on! See you all at rehearsal!_

Quickly, your phone was, once again, bombarded with messages from the boys.

 _See u!_ ✌️😎

_Talk later, (Y/N)_

_If you have any more questions, just let me know._

👋

You smiled lightly at the messages, locking your phone and placing it in your pocket. You got up from your bed and made your way into the hall, gaze searching for your parents, "Marco!" you called into the apartment.

"Polo!" a set of voices shouted from in the living room.

You made your way into the living room, finding your parents organizing the furniture, "So..." you began, tugging out your phone to open your messages, "I got the schedule for the band practice and was just curious, could we look over it at some point tonight?" you asked, rocking back and fourth on your heels and offering your parents a nervous grin.

"Sure, sweetie!" your mom chirped in reply, briefly adjusting a desk lamp before going towards the coffee table and stacking up several magazines that had been tossed on it, "How does after dinner sound?" she asked, turning to you and offering a small smile.

"That works," you replied, returning the smile, "But, uh, did you need any help?"

Your parents exchanged a quick glance before turning to you and nodding,

Without a second thought, you immediately jumped in and began to help them organize the rest of the apartment.

+

Once dinner was taken care of and the dishes were washed, you sat down at the counter with your mom and dad, showing them the schedule in order for them to set times and mark the information in their calendars.

"Keep in mind, sweetie, you start school this Monday," your mom spoke up as she wrote down various information into her calendar, occasionally glancing at your phone to check and see if she has the scheduling right, "So, be sure to get all your homework done."

"I should be able to drive you tomorrow," your dad said, jotting something down on a sticky note and placing it off to the side for later, "But I don't think your mom and I can do Wednesday, so you'll have to see if one of the boys are willing to pick you up, or you can walk if you'd like too," he explained, tapping his pen against the date on the calendar, taking note of all the events written down under it.

"Right," you replied, setting an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to ask about Wednesday, "I'll ask during tomorrows practice."

After a few more minutes of working out schedules, you and your parents decided it was time for bed. You quickly got ready, wished your parents good night, and passed out on your bed.

+

The next morning, at around noon, your dad dropped you off at the same garage that you had previously done your auditions. Lyle and Sean were the first members you saw. They were sitting at the table in the garage talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Uh, hey," you greeted as you approached them, offering a light wave and smile.

Lyle returned the wave and smile, while Sean quickly stood up from his seat, exclaiming a loud, "Hi!"

"Glad to see you came a bit early," Lyle spoke up, "We're still waiting on Max, and Melvin is in the house getting lunch ready," he informed.

"Oh, uh, really?" you couldn't help but ask, "Um, then what exactly are we going to do while we wait?"

"Well," Sean spoke up, "Lyle and I were talking about getting to know you a little better," he continued, "With the competition coming up in a few weeks, it'll be good for us to figure out how you work, and what we can do to help you get through singing," he explained, a small smile on his face.

You blinked, somewhat surprised at the information you were hearing, "Well, I don't know," you replied shyly, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs at the table, "I mean, I wouldn't want to cause any trouble," you quickly corrected, "I'd hate for you guys to just spend all your time with me and distract you from the competition."

"Nonsense," it was Lyle's turn to speak as he pulled a notebook from a backpack that had been seated under the table, "I made a schedule for each of us to spend at least two and a half hours with you during the weekends, that way, during the week, we have plenty of time to practice, while also learning about how we can best make you fit into the bands dynamic," he explained, flipping open the notebook to show you the neatly laid out, color coded schedule.

You gently took the notebook from Lyle, looking over the schedule with some interest, "Well, I'll have to see if it's okay with my mom and dad first, but the idea is nice," you smiled softly, "And the color coordination is very clever," you tagged on, handing the notebook back to Lyle.

"Thank you," Lyle replied, "I don't get many compliments for my use of color coordination."

"That's a lie!" Sean wrapped an arm around Lyle's shoulder and pulled him into a half hug, "I compliment you all the time about your color choices!" he chirped, a grin on his face.

"Hence why I said I don't get _many_ , not that I don't get _any_ ," Lyle replied.

You couldn't help but laugh at the little exchange, finding it cute that Sean and Lyle could get along so well. Though, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise. They've known each other for a while, so it'd make sense that they got along well with each other.

"Hold the applause," Max's voice exclaimed from the driveway, "The best band member here has arrived!"

Lyle rolled his eyes at Max's statement, "Ah, yes, where would we be without The Great Max?" he asked, sarcasm in his voice.

"I finished lunch," Melvin called from the garage doorway, a plate of sandwiches in hand, "Sean, yours is just jelly, Max, yours is peanut butter, honey and banana, and Lyle, you've got ham and cheese," he gestured to each of the sandwiches as he approached the table "(Y/N), I didn't make you one, yet, cause I wasn't sure what kind you wanted," he explained as he sat the plate down on the table.

You raddled off your favorite sandwich, and Melvin gave a small nod in response, turning and walking back into the house to fix you a sandwich.

A calmness fell over you as you listened to the boys exchange conversation and eat their lunch. You smiled, _Maybe this whole thing won't be as bad as I thought it would be..._


	5. Pretzel's and Peanuts

It had been around a week since you've been in the band. During that time, and in between practices, you got to make some small talk every so often. You learned that Lyle was like the manager of the group, which didn't come as much of a surprise with how well organized he tended to keep everything. In fact, he was probably the most well organized of the entire group. Max was the lead singer of the band, which also didn't come a much of a surprise, considering how charismatic he tended to be. Plus, his voice, the group decided, was one of the best out of everyone else's. Sean was sort of the child of the group. He tended to try and keep things light and fun, making different exercises for the group to preform and even getting a few jokes in here and there. The last member, Melvin, was the only one you didn't really talk to, mostly because he didn't say much aside form the occasional comment, or listing off what he made everyone for snacks and lunch.

Friday, a little before practice was a over, Lyle called a quick meeting at the table in the garage, pulling out his color coded schedule to show the group, "Alright everyone," he began, pointing to the very first time slot on the page, "Max, you'll be spending two and a half hours with (Y/N) at that karaoke place nearby, correct?" he asked, turning his gaze to Max, who muttered a small, "Yeah," in conformation.

"Melvin and I have her Sunday, right?" Sean asked, flicking his focus from his phone to the notebook.

"Yes, you and Melvin are Sunday, while Max and I have her tomorrow," Lyle explained, "And just in case anyone is still confused, I'll send it in the group chat," he turned his focus to you, "And you confirmed with your parents about the schedule?"

You nodded in reply, a small smile on your face, "We still have practice like normal, too right?" you asked, double checking your notes you made in your phone.

Lyle gave a small nod in reply, "Yes, we still have practice these day's. You'll just be meeting with Max and Sean a bit earlier than normal," he confirmed, "Now, before ending the meeting, does anyone have any more questions?" he shifted his gaze around the table, waiting for several seconds to see if anyone wanted to ask something, finally dismissing the meeting, once he was sure no one had any questions.

Everyone quickly began to pack up their belongings, Sean latching on to Lyle for conversation with Max close behind them. You would have joined them, but you noticed Melvin was by himself, looking over something written down in a notebook, a pencil in hand. You glanced at your phone, taking note that your dad would still be a few minutes before he showed up. Nodding, you shuffled over to Melvin, a small smile on your face, "Uh, hi," you greeted quietly, offering a small wave, "What are you up to?" you asked, briefly catching a glimpse of the notebook he had before he quickly moved it aside so you couldn't see what was occupying the page

"Not much," he replied simply, gaze still fixed on the notebook, "Just working on something," he stated, quickly scribbling something down on the paper

You awkwardly cleared your throat, "Right..." you muttered, rubbing your arm and shifting your gaze to the side. You awkwardly stood there for several seconds before a car horn gained your attention, finding that your dad had arrived. You gave a small wave goodbye to the boys as you walked down the drive way to the car, "See you guys tomorrow!"

A chores of farewells left the boys as they waved goodbye to you.

+

You adjusted your blue skirt and black jacket, looking yourself over in your bedroom mirror as you fixed your hair, silently wondering if you should change into something different. You wanted to look nice for the occasion, but you wondered if you were underdressed or if you were overdressed.

"Honey, are you ready?" Your dad asked, gently knocked on your bedroom door, "Max is here to pick you up.

"Okay, one sec!" you replied, gaze still fixed on your reflection. You sighed, taking a deep breath, _No time to dwell on it_. You quickly grabbed your phone from off the charger and pulling on your shoes. You snatched your wallet off your bed and exited your room, waving goodbye to your parents as you left the house, "I'll see you later!" you called to them.

+

You had gotten a ride from Max's mom, who seemed to be a rather relaxed individual, just as Max. The two were talking quietly about something while you stood a few feet away, fiddling with the various zippers on your wallet.

"Just text me if you need anything!" she chirped, waving to both of you before pulling out of her parking spot and driving off.

Max returned his mom's wave, a look of content in is eyes. It was a look you'd never seen on him before, and you'd be lying if you said it didn't suit him. He turned to you, gesturing to the small building, "Shall we?" he offered you his arm, as if the two of you were about to go to a school dace.

You couldn't help but smile, nodding your head in reply as you gently took his arm, approaching the building to pick out a room.

The two of you quickly settle in, searching through possible song choices, "So, why exactly did you want to do this for our get together?" You spoke up, turning your gaze form the tablet to Max.

"Well—Oh, dude, no way!" he suddenly exclaimed, practically jumping up from his seat in excitement, "They've got Thomas Sanders on here now!" He turned his tablet to face you, tapping at the screen, "Last time the boys and I came here, they didn't have him," he explained, turning to look over the various songs listed under the singers name, "Sometimes the boys and I will sing his Disney mashups as practice, but with you being a new addition, we decided to wait for awhile until you got used to us," he turned his focus back to you, a look in his eyes that you've never seen before—one of excitement, maybe?

You weren't exactly sure how to respond to the outburst, so you just gave a small, "Oh," and slowly turned your attention back to your tablet, "I'm thinking of signing Shine by Owl City," you hummed, a thoughtfulness in your voice.

"Duet mode right?"

You blinked, confusion setting in. You hadn't planned on doing the duet mode, but if Max wanted to, then that was fine too. The question had just caught you off guard, is all, "Uh, if you want to..." you trailed off.

"Lyle recommenced we sing a few songs together, and some apart, just to get a better sense of how well we can work together," Max stated, still looking over songs on is tablet, "Once we're done with your song, if you want, we could do a duet with one of Thomas' pieces," he contained, smile still present, "Personally, I'm a huge fan of _Crofters: The Musical_ , but if you're interested in any of his other songs you can pick one of those," he rambled excitedly.

You gave a small hum in reply, your stomach twisting slightly. This wouldn't be the first time you and Max sang together, but without the others, it felt awkward, foreign. You hated the feeling, but if Lyle recommended it, then it obviously had a purpose. You took a deep breath, nodding your head, "Yeah, okay, but, I'm not exactly familiar with Thomas, so if I mess up," you paused, a sheepish grin placing itself on your face as Max turned his attention to you, "Sorry, in advance..."

Max grinned, tapping several buttons before standing up from his seat on the small couch with out following close behind. He picked up two microphone and handed off one to you, "Alright, let's get started!"

+

The karaoke session went well. Max would occasionally give you different tips, such as the proper place to stand, how to hold the microphone—you kept gripping it tighter than was necessary—, and how to smooth into certain pitches, which, despite being in the band for a week, was something you still had some trouble with.

"Well, that fun!" Max exclaimed as you exited the building, "We should definitely do that again sometime," he gently nudged you in the side with his elbow, "Right?"

You nodded in agreement, smiling at him. Hanging out with Max outside of practice was a nice change of pace, and you wondered what the others would be like outside of your usual practices.

"Yo, Lyle!" Max waved to the other band member who was waiting patiently by his car, "Wait long?"

"No, surprisingly," Lyle replied, "I mean, I came several minutes earlier, but you stuck with the schedule pretty well," he noted, his voice holding a hint of surprise, "Speaking of, you ready to head out, (Y/N)?" he turned to you, offering a small smile.

You nodded, turning to face Max, "I'll see you at practice," you gave him one last smile.

"Yep, same up you," Max replied, waving goodbye as you got in the car, "And don't do anything I wouldn't do!" he tagged on.

"That doesn't limit us to much!" Lyle replied jokingly.

+

You were surprised to find that Lyle had decided on a carnival. It seemed too silly and childish for his serious demeanor. He must have noticed your surprise, as he asked, "Hey, what's up?"

"Ah, nothing!" you quickly replied, holding up your hands, "It's just, I'm surprised you picked a place like this," you explained, gesturing to the entrance of the park.

Lyle handed off your set of the tickets to you, "Well, I thought this would be an appropriate place to get to know a little more about you," he explained as the two of you entered the various crowds of screaming children and parents, "It's important to see how you act around crowds, on and off stage," he continued.

"Do you always take things so seriously?" you couldn't help but ask, "I'm surprised you don't have a schedule of all the things we can do," you joked, letting out a light chuckle.

There was a beat of silence as Lyle stared at you, similar to a dear caught in headlights.

"Oh my gosh," you couldn't help but laugh, "You _seriously_ brought a schedule?"

Lyle huffed, crossing his arms, "Is it really so wrong to want to keep things organized?" he was completely flustered, something you're not used to seeing. His face was even a light pink out of embarrassment.

You fought back another fit of laughter, clearing your throat, "Tell you what," you held out your hand, as if you were about to make a business deal, "We start with doing half of what you have scheduled, then derail it from there," you offered a grin, "What do you think? Deal?"

He shifted his gaze to your hand, thinking over his options. Finally, he sighed, shaking it, "Alright, deal."

"Awesome!" you cheered, "What's the first thing on your list?"

You watched as Lyle pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket, unfolding it and looking over it, "First thing's first, snacks."

+

"Behold! The great snake of distraction!" you cheered, gently tapping Lyle's cheek with your won prize, "He eats stuffy businessmen for breakfast!"

Lyle scuffed, batting the stuffed toy away, "Yes, I'm sure he's rather vicious," he replied sarcastically, "Now, what would you like to do next?" he glanced briefly at his watch, "We've still got twenty minutes left."

Both of you had completed Lyle's schedule, and were currently doing various activities of your choosing. You wanted Lyle to chose some as well, but he seemed distracted. Possibly because he was simply observing you, searching for certain reactions to file away into a folder somewhere in his brain.

"Well, was there something _you_ wanted to do?" you asked, "You don't seem to be having much fun," you noted, a worried look in your eyes.

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Lyle began, "I am enjoying this outing, but I'm also working, and taking note of your behavior," he explained as the two of you began to make your way back to the front entrance, which you had gotten further away from than you originally suspected, "I had fun, even if my schedule was thrown out the window," he smiled, stretching out his arms and cracking a yawn.

You couldn't help but sighed in relief.

"Hopefully, we could do this again," he turned to you, his face in a surprisingly relaxed state, "And maybe, I won't make a schedule next time."

You smiled, lightly punching him in the shoulder, "Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Lyle?"

The comment earned you a small laugh from the band member, along with a shake of his head. You were silently glad to see Lyle laugh, even if his content face only lasted for a couple of minutes, and he was back to his more serious demeanor as the two of you approached the car.


	6. Soda and Sweets

You stared at the pages in your book, trying to get your mind focused on reading. It was hard, as your thoughts kept wandering to the possibilities that awaited you tomorrow with Sean and Melvin. Though, you didn't have to wonder about Melvin for much longer, as he shot you a message asking what movie you were interested in seeing. You stared at the message, humming thoughtfully.

 _What are our choices?_ you inquired.

He sent you a quick list of the movies playing in theater. There didn't seem to be many movies you were interested in, save for _Toy Story 4_ and _Spider—Man: Far From Home_. You briefly took Melvin into consideration, and shot him a response.

_What movie did you want to see???_

There was a minute long pause, before he finally responded, _Toy Story 4._

 _Really?_ you proceeded to send a gif of a detective examine a clue with his magnifying glass, _Or are you keeping secrets?_

There was another pause, _Well,_ Once Upon a Time in Hollywood _seemed interesting._

You thought for a minute, finally deciding to watch the trailer, and noticing it's rated R, so you'd have to double check with your parents about seeing it. The movie looked interesting enough, and it had two of your favorite actors in it.

 _I wouldn't mind seeing it,_ you finally replied, _I'll just have to double check with my parents, and then we'll be golden! Or copper, depending on their answer..._

_Okay, and if you hate it, I'll take you to a different movie some other time._

You smiled softly, _Who said I had to hate it to go to the movies with you again?_

A few minutes passed with no response from Melvin. You're smile slowly turning into a frown as the minutes went by. Had you said something wrong? Shaking your head, you got up from your bed and went to plug your phone in. He was probably just busy with something, or he didn't know how to respond, you concluded.

Sighing, you exit your room to see what your parents have to say about the movie.

+

"(Y/N)!" Sean called out to you as you made your way down the steps of your apartment, waving his arms rapidly, "Over here!"

"Hey, Sean!" you greeted, offering him a small smile, "So, what are we doing for our outing?" you couldn't help but ask, the curiosity getting the better of you.

"I figured, since I'm strapped for cash, we could just take a walk around the park," he explained, his voice going a bit quite at the mention of his lack of money. He rubbed the back of his neck, shifting his gaze to the side in embarrassment, "Unless you want to do something else..." he quietly offered.

You held up your hands, as if you were trying to defend yourself, "No, no!" you immediately reassured, "I wouldn't mind walking around the park at all!" you exclaimed, hoping to ease Sean's self consciousness, "It's a nice day out, after all, so going for a walk would be nice," you glanced around at your surroundings, examining them with some care before turning your focus back to Sean.

He smiled wide, "Well, that's a relief!" he chirped in reply, "We'd better get going then!" he grabbed hold of your arm, pulling you along at a quick pace, "We can play a game while we walk around!"

"A game...?" you echoed, trying to ignore the light blush on your face as Sean held onto your arm.

"Yep! A game! It's sort of like twenty questions, only you have to pick a topic to ask questions about!" he explained on your walk, "Like, if I pick movies as a topic, then we ask questions about what movies we've seen, who our favorite character is from that movie, and all that," he made a gesture with his hand turning to face you, "And since you're the guest, you get to pick the first topic!"

"Huh..." you couldn't help but mutter, tapping your chin in thought, "Uh, well..." you trailed off, mind searching for a good topic, "How about... music...?" it came out as more of a question than a suggestion. Was that too basic of a topic? Maybe you should have picked something else...

"Alright, what question do you have for me?" Sean cut through your worried thoughts, looking at you expectantly.

"Oh, um..." you thought for a few seconds, "What's your favorite type of music?"

"Well, I don't really have a specific type I listen to," he explained, "If the song is good, I'll listen to it—country, rock, indie," he rambled, his gaze soft, "Right now, I'm really into indie folk music, like _Daughter_ , _Mumford & Sons_ and _Of Monsters and Men_ ," he turned to you, "Have you ever listened to any of their music? If you haven't, I can always introduce you to them," his excitement from earlier was still present, but he also seemed much more relaxed than earlier—calmer.

"I don't think I have listened to them," you replied, taking note that the two of you had slowed down your walk, "Was that your question for me?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, no, sorry," Sean quickly replied, "My question for you is, if you were stuck on an island for a month and you could only have _one_ musical to listen to, which would it be?"

"Well..."

+

After a while of answering and asking questions, you found that you shared many common interests with Sean. At one point, when the two of you had seated yourselves on the swings, you had asked about his relationship with the others band members, mostly because you've noticed he and Lyle seem a lot more close than the other band members.

"Ah, that's a big can of worms," Sean let out a small laugh, pausing his light swaying, "Looking back though, I can't help but laugh at how ridiculous it all was..."

You raised an eyebrow, a confused look crossing your face, _Had he and Lyle not always been friends?_ you couldn't help but wonder as you waited for Sean to explain his answer further.

"To make a long, detailed story short, I met Lyle when I was around seven, and we were pretty good friends," he explained, his gaze fixed up to the bright blue sky, lost in the memories of past events, "At some point, my parents had decided to try and enroll me in boarding school. Before I left, Lyle and I got into this really stupid fight, I think it was about some English problem."

"You got into a fight over something as silly as that?" you couldn't help but ask, the question genuine.

Sean nodded, "Yeah, it was really dumb," he replied, an amused smile on his face, "But, what can you do?" he sighed, shrugging his shoulders, "He was mad at me for going to boarding school, and I was mad at my parents for forcing me to go—It's not like we even had the money. I would only be going for at least a year," he slowly began to rock back and fourth on his swing, "Anyways, once everything was said and done and I came back home, Lyle and I vowed to stay closer. That's actually sort of how both of us ended up joining Lumbermax."

You hummed thoughtfully at the information. You had a feeling there was more to it then Sean let on, but if he left it out, he probably wasn't ready to talk about it, "You really care about Lyle, huh?" you noted, gently digging your foot into the grass.

"Course I do," Sean's voice was calm, a look in his eyes that you couldn't read, "He's my best friend."

_PING._

The sound of Sean's phone cut through your conversation. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket, glancing over the notification before typing something in reply, shoving the phone back into his pocket as he stood up, "Melvin is here to pick you up," he informed, holding out his hand for you to take.

You smiled, taking the hand offered to you, as he pulled you up onto your feet. The two of you quickly made your way over to Melvin, who was standing outside of his parent's car.

"She's all yours Melvin!" Sean chirped, gently pushing you forward, "I'll see you both at practice!" he called out as he began his walk in the other direction, possibly to go home, but you weren't too sure.

"See you later!" You replied, waving goodbye to Sean as he left.

+

Once you were at the theater, Melvin's dad went up to the counter to purchase the tickets while you and Melvin waited for him on the steps..

"So," you slowly began, fiddling with your necklace, "Um, what were you working on earlier, on Friday?" you asked, shifting your gaze to Melvin, gnawing on your lower lip with nervousness.

"Hm?" Melvin raised an eyebrow, briefly looking back on the conversation you had on Friday, "I was trying to write a song," he stated, "It's my job in the band."

"Really?" you blinked in surprise, "You write all of the songs for concerts?"

Melvin nodded in reply, allowing an awkward silence to settle between the two of you. You cleared your throat, turning your focus to your feet, unsure of what else to say that might carry on the conversation. It was always so hard to talk to Melvin, you had found. He wasn't exactly intimidating, but he didn't really like to talk much in the first place. The only person you saw him talk with on a regular was Sean, possibly because was in charge of designing album covers and posters.

"Here you two are!" Melvin's dad interrupted the silence, handing off the tickets to his son, "Hope the two of you have fun on your little date!"

"Uh, it's not—!" you felt your face flush in embarrassment, "I mean, we're just hanging out is all!" you tried to explain, quickly standing up and taking a few steps away from Melvin, awkwardly clearing your throat.

Melvin took the tickets from his dad, standing up, briefly thanking him as he stood up, starting his walk to the theater, with you trailing behind him, giving a shy wave to his dad as you walk off.

"Did you want to grab anything before we go in?" he asked, holding the door open for you.

"If you want, we could split a popcorn and get our own drinks," you suggested, watching as Melvin handed off the tickets to the employee, who quickly ripped them and handed them back, tagging on the auditorium you would be sitting in.

"I don't like popcorn, but I could use a drink," he replied, pulling out his wallet and tucking the tickets inside, simultaneously pulling out a twenty dollar bill.

The two of you ordered your drinks, plus a small popcorn for yourself, and a pack of skittles for Melvin.

"You didn't have to pay for everything," you quietly muttered as the two of you made your way to the auditorium, "Just for that, the next movie is on me!" you declared, offering Melvin a small smile, "And _you_ don't get a say on the matter!"

You could have sworn you heard a light laugh leave Melvin at your declaration, but when you turned to fully look at him, his face was still in it's usual neutral expression. The two of you found your seats, making yourselves comfortable in the back row.

"I'm not sure what to expect from this movie," you admitted quietly, just as the lights dimmed and the previous began to play, "It looked good, from the trailer though."

Melvin nodded in agreement, "I've always been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio movies," his voice was hushed, and there was almost a hint of a smile gracing his features as he spoke, "Plus, Quentin Tarantino movies are always enjoyable, I think."

A soft smile found it's way onto your face as you looked at Melvin, letting out a content sigh and leaning back in your chair, fixing your gaze onto the screen. It was nice to see Melvin drop his neutral expression and show off his emotions every now and again. You silently hoped that, the more you spent time with him, the more you'd get to see him smile.

+

"'Come on, don't cry in front of Mexican's,'" you quoted from the movie as the two of you tossed your finished drinks and food into the trash, exiting the auditorium.

Melvin cleared his throat, cowering his mouth with his fist in an attempt to contain his laughter, "Cliff being high on acid while he's in danger had to be one of the best parts in the whole film," he managed, keeping his emotions contained, "And then his _dog_ —" and just like that, Melvin burst into a fit of laughter the longer he thought about the scene. You joined in on his laughter, surprised that you enjoyed the movie as much as you did. It had a great story to it, and a weird sense of creepiness during a few scenes when the atmosphere called for it.

"We should..." Melvin slowly began, clearing his throat and composing himself, his smile still present on his face, "I know you already said you wanted to do this again, and, uh..." his voice held a hint of hesitation to it, "I don't think I would mind if we hung out more."

You returned his smile, nodding your head, "That would be nice, Melvin," you agreed, giving him a light nudge with your elbow, "It's nice to see you smiling too," you tagged on.

A faint blush fell on Melvin's face at the complement. He cleared his throat, shifting his gaze, "Thanks..." he quietly replied, holding the door open for you as you exited the theater.

"No problem," you hummed, letting out a light laugh at Melvin's reaction. You had a feeling he would go back to being his normally neutral self, and you didn't mind that. You were just happy that you got to see a little more of his expressive side.


	7. One Last Practice

"Alright everyone," Lyle clasped his hands together, gaze scanning over the band members scattered about the room. Melvin was tucked in one of the corners, various crumpled sheets of paper at his feet as he thought frantically for the right words to put into their newest songs. Max was messing with his phone, taking notes on various information that was needed for the contest, which Lyle made a note to double check later. You and Sean were on the floor, working on putting the band posters together, "We've got one last practice to touch base with each other," he turned his focus to Melvin, "How's the song coming Mel?"

Melvin made a gesture with his hand, as if he was saying it was going, "eh."

Lyle flicked his gaze to you and Sean, "Those posters doing okay?"

"Yep!" Sean offered Lyle a wide grin, and a thumbs up, "Just doing some last minute adjustments on the lettering, and we should have all the posters ready to hang up tonight."

"The contest is already being advertised, though, isn't it?" you inquired.

"Of course it is, but we can't be too careful," Lyle replied, "The more people who show up, the better," he explained, finally turning his attention to Max, "How's the information coming? We miss anything important?"

"Doesn't look like it," Max couldn't help but smirk, pocketing his phone, "But you'll just triple check anyways," he teased.

"Well, excuse me, for wanting everything to go as planned," Lyle muttered, crossing his arms and letting out a bitter huff.

Sean stood up from his seat on the floor beside you, walking up to Lyle and gently nudging him in the side with his elbow, "He's just teasing you!" he chirped, "Stop being so serious, Mr. Grumpy-Gills!"

You briefly smiled at the interaction before turning your focus to Melvin, who had his eyebrows knitted together in concentration. Lyle, Max and Sean began their own little back and fourth banter as you stood up from the floor, walking over to Melvin and stealing a chair that was beside him, taking a seat in it, "Do you need any help?" you asked, offering a smile towards him.

"Sort of," he admitted, "I mean, for now I just changed the lyrics to one of our older songs, until I can pull out something original," he explained, handing off the notebook to you, "I feel bad about it, but, what else can you do, really?"

You nodded in agreement, taking the notebook and glancing over what he had written thus far. Just a single line that had been aggressively scribbled out, "Are you any good at poetry?" you raised an eyebrow, shifting your focus to him.

Melvin gave a small shrug in response, "A little," he rubbed the back of his neck, "The only thing I'm really good at is haiku's and limerick's," he explained.

"Then, why don't you try with starting off the song as one of those, first?" you flipped to a blank page, "Just name topics that you're really passionate about, or find some inspiration in others around you," you handed the notebook back to him, "Writing can be hard, so it's best not to force out the ideas, just try and relax!" you chirped, offering a reassuring smile.

Melvin smiled faintly, taking the notebook, tapping his pencil against his chin, thoughtfully, "I should probably make an inspirational list, first..." he muttered to himself, immediately writing various things down, "Thanks for the help, (Y/N)," he briefly glanced up at you, smile still resting on his face.

"No problem!" you chirped, "Good luck," you gave a light wave as you stood up, "If you need any more help, just ask!"

"Of course."

+

After you and Sean finished up a few more posters, Max and Lyle had finished talking things over with the concert preparations, and Melvin got a little further along in his lyrics, the five of you gathered together for one last group song.

"Does anyone have any requests for—"

Sean's hand quickly shot up, "I do!" he frantically waved his hand around, despite already having Lyle's attention, "I have a song we can do together!" he chirped.

Lyle gave a small sigh, "Yes, Sean, what song did you want to sing?" he asked, voice holding a hint of exasperation to it.

"Could we sing _Little Talks_?" he asked, gaze filled with excitement, "Please?"

"That depends, does everyone know that song?" Lyle asked, glancing around the room.

"Uh," you shyly raised your hand, "I, I don't know it," you admitted, guilty that Sean wasn't able to enjoy singing the song he likes, just because you had no idea what the song was.

"Then we'll have to pick a different song," Lyle flicked his gaze from you to Sean, "Did you have anything else in mind?" he asked.

" _Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy_?" Sean offered, glancing at you, "Do you know that one?" he asked.

You thought for a few seconds, nodding slowly, "Yeah, it's by _Queen_ , right?" you glanced at Sean, "I've listened to it a few times, cause of my dad," you explained, "It starts like..." you trailed off, recalling the various times you've heard the song playing in the car, " _I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things—_ "

" _We can do the tango just for two_ ," Sean chimed in as you slowly began to sing.

" _I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings, be a Valentino just for you_ ," Max sang, offering you a quick wink, causing a light blush to slip on your face.

Before you knew it, Melvin and Lyle joined in on the song as well. As you sang, Lyle made it a point to fix a few people's pitches, reminding everyone the importance of harmonizing with one another.

"(Y/N), you're a bit off," Lyle had pointed out, causing the others to pause their singing, "Remember, the song picks up the pace a bit near the end," he offered you a small smile, "If you ever feel like you're singing off pace, just lip sync, until you're certain you've corrected yourself," he explained.

"Right, sorry," you muttered, rubbing the back of your neck in slight embarrassment.

"It's no big deal!" Sean reassured, "Everyone can make mistakes!"

Melvin gave a small nod in agreement.

"Alright, everyone, from where we left off," Lyle spoke up, gaining everyone's attention.

+

You let a long sigh as you felt the cool breeze from inside your house hit your face, "We're back!" your dad called from behind you, tugging off his hat and placing it on the coat rack.

"How was practice?" your mom asked from the kitchen table, keeping her face focused on the various papers scattered in front of her, "You feel ready for the competition that's coming up tomorrow afternoon?"

"It went pretty good," you replied, briefly glancing at your phone to see a text from Lyle, "And, I think we're ready for it," you quickly typed out a reply to the message, "I'm gonna practice the dance routine for a few more minutes in my room," you quickly walked down the hall, "If you need anything, just call!"

Your dad couldn't help the light laugh that left him as he took a seat beside your mom, "She's gotten a lot more confident," he noted, "Just like before."

"I noticed that too," your mom replied, making a reference note on the side of her drawing, "It's nice to see her enjoying herself again," she absentmindedly tapped the eraser of her pencil against the table, "Though, I am worried about that concert she's going to be participating in," she admitted quietly.

"You and me both," your dad muttered in agreement, "But we have to trust that she's capable of making her own decisions," he explained, leaning back in his chair and relaxing his shoulders.

"I know," your mom smiled sadly, "I just hope she'll be okay..."

"She's a strong girl, I'm sure she'll be just fine, dear."


	8. Battle of the Bands

You weren't quite sure what to expect when you and the Lumbermax arrived at the Battle of the Bands. It was a lot more crowded than you had originally anticipated, causing fear to settle into your stomach.

"Hey," Melvin gently nudged you in the arm with his elbow, causing you to look up at him. He simply stared at you, finally shifting his gaze to the side, "It'll be okay," he quietly reassured.

You smiled, taking a deep breath and nodding your head in agreement. You were sure everything would be fine. Just that one percent in the back of your brain kept repeating itself—something would go wrong.

"Everyone ready?" Lyle turned to give everyone a once over, pulling out his clipboard, "(Y/N)?" he turned to you, just a hint of worry in his face.

"Yep, I'm ready," you replied, trying to sound more confident than you were feeling.

Lyle gave a small nod, turning on his heels, "Here we go," he hummed, starting his walk to the sign up table.

"It shouldn't be that hard too—" the girl working the sign up table paused her conversation on her phone, "Welcome to Battle of the Bands, what's your name?" she asked in a frantic pace.

"We're the Lumbermax," Max replied, shoving his hands in his pockets and offering a sly smile.

"Welcome to Battle of the Bands," the girl muttered, searching through various belongings on her desk, "Look, tell you what," she uncapped a marker with her teeth and scribbled down the band name on a sign, "Take this and set it up in your practice area," she handed the sign to Lyle, "I'll find you when I figure out where all the wrist bands went," she offered a quick, forced smile, silently moving her finger to count how many members there are.

"Alright," Lyle handed off the clipboard to you as he grabbed the sign, "Let's go set up our stuff!"

"Yeah!" Sean cheered, marching a head of the group with a skip in his step, moving through the maze of small stages and curtains that had been set up for the different groups that were showing up.

You laughed lightly at Sean's excitement, briefly glancing at the clipboard, "We don't really have any instruments to use, do we?" you asked, finding that the list written down was very short and simple.

"Nope, just our voices," Max hummed in reply, stretching out his arms and folding them behind his head, "Still sucks we couldn't get an original song out for this," he tagged on, voice holding a hint of disappointment.

"Sorry about that," Melvin muttered, rubbing his neck and shifting his gaze over to the various bands setting up their equipment.

"Don't worry about it, man," Max gave Melvin a small pat on the shoulder, "Without your help, we wouldn't have any original songs to sing in the first place!"

"Max is right," Lyle chimed in, offering Melvin a small smile, "I certainly can't write as well as you," he grimaced at the memory of several poems he attempted to write for a school project.

"Slowpokes!" Sean teased from in front of their the practice area, practically bouncing up and down on his toes.

"I should have just given him the sign," Lyle muttered to himself.

The four of you quickly approach Sean. Lyle set up the poster, grabbing the clipboard you hand back to him, briefly looking it over and checking off a few things, "So, the last thing we need to do is get those wristbands and practice at least two songs," he tapped his chin with the end of his pen, shooting the group a quick glance, "What song were you guys thinking?"

"How about _I Need Your Love_ ," Melvin suggested.

"The Pentatonix cover?" Lyle inquired.

Melvin gave a small nod in reply, "We've practiced that one a few times," he turned to look at you, "I remember you were struggling a bit, though," he noted, "If you wanted to, we could do a different song."

You thought over the past practices you had learned your part of the song, with the help of the others. You still had some struggle keeping up with them, but it still seemed like a good idea to sing the song, "It's fine," you finally said after a minute of consideration, "I don't mind singing it, even if I'm still struggling with a few parts, it's good practice."

Lyle nodded, gently tossing his clipboard on the ground, "Alright, let's do it!"

+

"Lumbermax!" a voice shouted from somewhere in the maze of practice areas.

"Ah, they must have gotten our wristbands," Lyle commented, signaling for everyone to stop their singing.

"Lumbermax!" the voice repeated, tone shifting to one of frustration, "I _have_ your _wristbands_!"

"We're right here," Max hoped off the small stage area, taking the wristbands from the girl who had been working the sign up table. You and the other band members followed him off the stage, ready to take one of the wristbands for yourselves.

"Zack?" Sean turned to look at a boy who was standing beside the small stage, nachos and a drink in his hand, "What are you doing here?"

"Hey," Zack greeted, his voice cracking nervously, "Max, Lyle, Sean, Melvin..." he trailed off once his gaze got to you, "And a new face," he offered a small smile.

"This is (Y/N), our newest member," Lyle gestured to you.

"Well, it's nice to meet you."

You smiled softly, giving a small nod in reply.

"So, you competing today?" Max asked, placing his hands on his hips, eyebrow raised.

"It's actually our first gig," Zack explained, "So, we'll see how it goes."

You nervously fiddled with the hem of your red, plaid dress, unsure of what exactly to bring to the conversation. Should you return Zack's greeting? It seemed rude not to.

"You seem a bit nervous to be part of a band," Zack commented, his gaze focused on you, though his tone held no disdain or mockery to it. It seemed to be more of an observation, rather than anything else.

"Oh, don't act like you've never been nervous when you were about to go on stage," Max gently nudged Zack in the arm as he approached his friend, "I _distinctly_ remember you nearly throwing up at one of our first concerts we preformed because of how terrified you were."

"Oh, I wasn't saying—" Zack quickly backpedaled, "What I mean is... Uh..." he turned his focus to you, "Sorry, I mean... That's..." he couldn't help but laugh nervously at his own poor word choice.

"Ah, it's fine," you quietly replied, holding up your hands, "I actually have a bit of stage fright, so..." you made a small gesture with your hand, grinning nervously.

"You've improved a lot though!" Sean chimed in, briefly turning to you before focusing on Zack, "You wanna see us in action?" he grinned, "It _has_ been awhile since we last saw you."

Zack blinked once, "Oh, uh..." he gave a small shrug, "Yeah, sure, let's see what you guy's have got!" he smiled fondly.

The five of you all hoped up on stage, lining yourselves up in your proper order—Melvin, Sean, Max, you, and Lyle. Max was the first to start singing, then Melvin joined in, accompanied by Lyle, and finally you and Sean.

During the small performance for Zack, you did your best to keep your voice steady, ignoring the weight in your stomach. It was only one person, you kept repeating to yourself, just one person.

After the song, Zack did his best to give a small applause without dropping his food, "That was pretty good," he complimented.

"You think? I mean, we _are_ your rivals after all," Max tucked his hands in his pockets and grinned cheekily.

Zack seemed a bit taken aback by the declaration, as were you—he didn't _seem_ like a rival, more so like a friend.

Lyle rolled his eyes at the statement, turning to you and shaking his head.

"I don't want to be your rival," Zack replied simply.

"I see what you did there: a little reverse psych," Max's grin was still plastered on his face. He seemed to enjoy teasing Zack.

"I'm not reverse-psyching anything," Zack tried, grip tightening ever so slightly on his box of nachos.

"Max, knock it off," Melvin finally spoke up, a knowing smile on his face as he turned to look at Zack, "He's just messing with you," he explained.

"Right!" Zack cleared his throat, "I, um, knew that..." he lied, "Anyways," he tilted his head in a direction, "I'd better get back to my band," he offered the group one last smile, "Good luck out there," he started his walk over to his practice area.

"Same to you," Lyle replied, waving lightly as Zack walked off.

"So..." you began, turning to look at the four boys, "Who was your friend?"

"An old band member," Sean replied simply, "We split up because he had to move," he seemed to be reflecting on the past event, "I feel bad, considering we didn't really see him out," he muttered guiltily.

Melvin and Lyle hummed quietly in agreement.

"Well, no time to dwell on the matter," Lyle spoke up, stretching out his arms, "We should practice our dance a few more times, just to make sure we've got it locked down."

+

The Battle of the Bands started off with a quick introduction of the judges—Ms. Whipley, the music teacher at Jefferson Middle School, Mr Schmidt, the manager of the Pets and Stuff You Feed 'Em store, and Slash. Followed by the first band that would be preforming—Scott and the Undergrounders.

Shortly after that, you found yourself onstage with the boys by your sides. Each of them had given you reassuring words as you got up on stage, which seemed to sooth your fear only slightly. As you all sang and danced to the beat of the music, you did your best to ignore the weight that pressed down on your stomach and the sudden limpness of your legs and arms.

It was hard to lose yourself in the music like you had done before. So many eyes were on you—judging you; making fun of every little thing you were wearing, how you were singing, what you looked like. The thought of it all stressed you to your chore.

You had suddenly found yourself on autopilot as you followed the boys off the stage, the announcer's voice faint in your ears. Suddenly, there was a hand on your shoulder, and you found yourself facing Sean, who was giving you a concerned look.

"(Y/N), are you alright?" he asked, his voice snapping you from your daze.

"Huh...?" you muttered, blinking a few times, "Um, yeah, 'm okay," you attempted a smile, "Just a bit out of it, is all."

There was a gentle, cold tap against your temple, "Drink this," Max handed off a water bottle to you, "You did good out there," he smiled fondly.

You took the water bottle from him, hands trembling slightly. You opened the cap and took a long gulp.

"Hydration is key, before and after a performance," Lyle chimed, handing off bottles to Melvin, Sean and Max.

"Let's here it for Just Getting Started!" the announcer cheered as she walked off stage.

The various audience members clapped and cheer as Zack's band got on stage. Max let out a loud whistle, while Lyle and Melvin clapped politely. Sean just smiled, hand still gently on your shoulder, "Lets see if Zack's still got it," he grinned.

As Just Getting Started preformed, a number of things start to go wrong, to your surprise. Though, no one else seemed all that bothered as the stage's supports broke down, causing it to slide into a fire hydrant.

A speaker started to slide down the, now tilted, stage, but was quickly caught by a boy who was playing the accordion.

"Boom, gun, pow, the music gets louder, shakes you down to your soul," Zack sang, a wide smile on his face as he got lost in the music.

"Yep, he's still got it," Max mused, crossing his arms, a smirk playing on his face, "Even with a Murphy in his band."

"A Murphy?" you turned to shoot Max a quizzical look.

"We'll tell you later," Sean offered, gaze still focused on the band playing.

The audience was cheering now, impressed with how well the band was preforming.

You couldn't help the ping of jealousy that settled in your stomach, _They didn't cheer as loud when_ _we_ _were performing..._

The fire hydrant that had been damaged earlier started to flood the parking lot, causing the audience members to rise, along with the judges, who floated by, seeming to enjoy themselves.

You and the Lumbermaxes found yourselves on a bench, using it as a sort of raft. Lyle and Melvin were still observing the band, talking quietly about ways they could improve themselves for the next gig they have. Max and Sean cheered on Just Getting Started, and you find yourself trying to push down the jealousy in your chest the longer the performance went on.

The boy playing the accordion took out, what looked like, a large, inflatable raft, and put it under the stage, quickly inflating it and allowing the stage to float on top of the water.

As the song finally came to a close, the audience applauded enthusiastically.

The drummer of the band shoved his drum-kit aside and tore off his shirt, "Yeah! Stage-dive!" he exclaimed, leaping off stage and popping weakly into the water.

The Lumbermaxes began to peddle their way over to Zack's band, possibly planning to complement him on how well he performed.

"Zack, good news!" Max suddenly chimed, smirk unwavering, "We've discussed it, and you're back in the band!"

You blinked, staring at the others for some type of confirmation, though their attention seems soley focused on Zack.

"Thanks, but I don't want to get back in the band," Zack replied.

"Secret message received," Max winked, his voice going a bit quieter, "Practice tomorrow, at four."

"It wasn't..." he trailed off, as if something was clicking in his mind, "Wait, are you messing with me again?"

Max let out a light laugh, nodding his head, "Seriously though, good job on your first performance," his smirk turned into a sincere smile.

"Really, you did a good job," Lyle offered, giving Zack a thumbs up.

"Thanks," Zack smiled, "You guys did a pretty good job too," he turned his gaze to you, "And you did a lot better than I did the first time I had to preform in front of people," he rubbed the back of his head, letting out a light laugh at the memory, "I was a mess..."

You smiled faintly, still pushing down your jealousy, "Thanks, it was nice meeting you, Zack."

"Likewise!"

+

As you piled into the van with the boys, you couldn't help the frustrated sigh, "I can't believe we lost..."

"Don't feel too bad," Sean smiled, "At least we had fun, right?"

You hummed quietly in reply.

"You did a good job out there today," Lyle spoke up from the passenger seat of his mom's van, clipboard in hand, "You've definitely improved a lot since the first time you auditioned for us," he continued, "We night not have won, but don't let winning get in the way of what's really important."

"And what's that?" Max asked, leaning forward in his seat to glance up at Lyle, "Having fun?"

"That is important, yes," Lyle replied, "But improving is also important," he turned to look at his mom, who was focused on the road ahead, "Right?"

She gave a small nod, "Improving on something you love to do is just as important as having fun," she turned her gaze to the rearview mirror, glancing at you as she spoke, "You should always be glad you made progress, even if you don't have the satisfaction of winning something for all your hard work."

You smiled at the words, nodding your head in agreement, the jealousy from earlier slowly fading.


	9. A Familiar Face

"If you see anything you like, just let me know, okay?" your mom chirped as the two of you explored one of the shopping malls in town, "Especially if it's a decoration for the house!"

"Aren't we supposed to be browsing, instead of buying?" you teased, recalling the conversation your dad had with your mom about over spending.

"Well... yeah, but..." she trailed off, gnawing on her thumb nail. She had always been a very active spender when it came to decorating houses, which was one of the reasons your dad had requested you tag along with her to the mall, otherwise she might end up buying a little too much.

"Mom," you pressed, giving her a knowing look.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she muttered, running a hand through her hair and taking a deep breath, "We're just looking, not buying."

You nodded, shifting your gaze around the various stores to see if there was anything of interest. Nothing seemed to really catch your eye, though your mom did find a few things she made a note to check out later when her and dad went on a little shopping trip.

"Hey!" a voice called out.

You blinked, reflexively turning in the direction the voice had come form, finding an unfamiliar face. She had a wide smile on her lips as she bounced up to you, waving, "Hey," she repeated, a little quieter, "Um, you probably don't remember me, but I was with you during auditions, and I just thought I'd come over and say congratulations for getting into the band," she rambled, lightly twisting a few strands of her blond hair between her pointer finger and thumb.

"Hi," you greeted, returning her smile, "I'm (Y/N)," you held out your hand for her to shake.

"Amanda," she replied, shaking your hand, "So, what's it like being in the Lumbermax?" she asked, "I was pretty disappointing when I didn't get in—I've always been interested in music and joining a band—but I was glad you got in! It was a pretty close competition, and I was proud I made it to the final two!"

You nodded a long as she spoke, overwhelmed with how fast she was speaking, a never ending stream of words leaving her mouth. She seemed so shy when you had first seen her at the auditions, but the more you thought about it, you silently recalled she was the one who had engaged the group of girls in conversation in the first place.

"—Anyways, I was hoping we could be friends, and maybe we could even practice singing together some time?" her voice slowly shifted back into a normal pace, "Um, sorry, I just..." she trailed off, still twisting her hair with her finger and thumb, gaze shifting off to the side, "I talk really fast when I get excited..." she gave a small shrug, turning back to you, "Anyways, how have you been?" her gaze looked apologetic.

"It's been pretty fun," you smiled, "The guy's have really helped me improve a lot," you pulled out our phone from your pocket, "And I'd be happy to hang out. It'd be nice to have another friend in this town," you pulled up your contacts and hit the "create new" button, "What's your number?" you asked, looking up from your phone.

Amanda raddled off her number, as you typed it out into your phone, sending her a quick message consisting of a gif that showed a snake tippinga bowler hat, with the caption _"Ssssalutations."_

"(Y/N)!" your mom called from one of the stores, poking her head out of the open double doors, "They have the cutest throw pillows in here!" she chirped.

"Remember, we're just looking!" you replied, teasingly. You turned back to Amanda, "Feel free to shoot me a text whenever, and we'll make plans to meet up," you offered a small smile towards her.

"Right!" she quickly replied, smile unwavering, "It was really nice seeing you again," she took her hand in yours, shaking it rapidly, "And if you ever need me for anything, just call me whenever," she started rambling again, words coming out clumped together, "I can't wait to hear how much you've improved, and I'm super excited to hear what you think about my voice as well!" she dropped her grip on your hand, quickly shoving her hands in her pockets.

You couldn't help but let out a light laugh at the way she was acting, "Actually, I don't have anything going on today," you tucked your phone back in your pocket, "Did you want to come over for a drink or something?" you couldn't help but ask.

Amanda briefly thought it over, gnawing on her bottom lip, "Maybe some other time?" she offered an apologetic look, "I'm here with a few friends, and I sort of just abandoned them," she chuckled, noticeably embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," you reassured, "I'm here with my mom anyways," you made a gesture over to the store your mom was currently occupying.

Amanda gave a light wave and another quick goodbye before walking off to find her friends, a skip in her step.

You couldn't help but smile after her. She was definitely an interesting girl.

+

"We're back!" your mom called as the two of you entered the house, "And we didn't buy anything!" she tagged on, a proud smile on her face, "I found some really good stuff to decorate the apartment too!"

"Hey, girls!" your dad chimed from in the kitchen, "Glad to hear your window shopping went well."

You pulled off your shoes and tossed them by the various others at the front door, Weird, you couldn't help but think, following your mom into the kitchen.

"Hey, (Y/N)!"

The scene laid out before you made your heart drop to your stomach. Max, Lyle and Sean were seated at the dining room table with your dad, who had offered them snacks. You felt your face flush, in embarrassment, _Oh for the love of all things holy,_ please _tell me dad didn't show them the videos..._

"Oh, well, hey there, boys," your mom took a seat in one of the empty chairs, smiling at the three band members. She turned to you, "Honey, why don't you sit down!" your mom gestured to the empty seat, gaze soft, "You can finally formally introduce us to your friends."

"Um, sure..." you slowly began to shuffle down the hall, "Just, uh, one second," you gave a nervous smile before dashing down the hall to your room, gently, but quickly shutting the door behind you. Digging through your pocket, you pulled out your phone, checking to see if you had received any messages—you hadn't.

Ugh, why couldn't they have warned you before just showing up out of nowhere? Wasn't it common courtesy?

Taking a deep breath, you steadied yourself. This was fine, you reassured yourself, your parents had met the boys before, technically... from a distance... but still! They've met before, so it shouldn't be that embarrassing! You opened your bedroom door and calmly walked back into the kitchen, finding your parents laughing along with the boys at some sort of joke you hadn't heard.

"Uh, so," you took a seat in one of the remaining chairs at the dining room table, gaining the attention of everyone else, "What brings you guys here?" you asked, turning your focus to the boys, "And where's Melvin?"

"We wanted to congratulate you on how well you did at the Battle of the Bands," Lyle explained, pulling up a small, blue gift bag that had been tucked by his chair, "So, we got you a gift, each," he slid the bag towards you, "Melvin was supposed to be here too, but he got side tract with something. Not exactly sure what."

"Oh, guys you didn't have to do that," you reassured, noticeably worried at the fact that the boys had spent money on you, especially when you hadn't gotten anything in return.

"Of course we did!" Sean piped up, a wide smile on his face, "You really did your best during the performance and, like we've said before, you've improved a lot," he explained, "So, it's only right you get a small reward for all your hard work!"

You smiled faintly, looking into the bag and pulling out the different gifts that were in it. A set of black earrings in the shape of crescents, a polaroid camera with a galaxy design, and a small, stuffed, white cat.

"I got you the earrings," Max gestured to himself, a grin on his face.

"Sean and I got you the polaroid," Lyle informed, a small smile on his face.

"Thanks, guys," you offered the three a smile. You were really lucky to have the boys in your life. They had improved you for the better, and treated you with so much kindness that you had only ever received from a select few people.

+

"I'm glad she liked our gifts," Sean chimed, a skip in his step, "Though it sucks that Melvin couldn't have been with us."

"To be fair, he _was_ off on his own side quest," Max joked, earning a light laugh from Sean.

"Come to think of it..." Lyle trailed off as he pulled his phone from his pocket, shooting Melvin a quick text to see how he was doing, "He probably got caught up working on a song," he muttered.

"Probably," Sean nodded in agreement.

The three band members continued on their walk, chatting about little things every so often. Sean had them stop briefly because he saw a bird and wanted to watch it hop around on the ground for a little bit, while cooing about how adorable it looked. Usually, Lyle would be annoyed about the interruption, but even he had to admit it was nice to stop and admire your surroundings every once in awhile.

"You know, I might get a little ruffled when not everything goes according to plan," Lyle began, shifting his gaze towards the cars passing by.

"'Ruffled?'" Max teased, "What are you? An old man?"

"But..." Lyle carried on as if Max hadn't said anything, "I'm glad we started a band together."

Sean and Max exchanged a startled look, both taken aback by the sincerity in his voice. Lyle felt his face heat up the longer they stayed quiet, embarrassment settling in his stomach.

"You know what, forget it," he quickly backpedaled, crossing his arms, eyes focused on the sidewalk, "I never said anything, alright?" he shot the two a glare, trying to ignore how hot his face felt. He supposed this was what he got for trying to have a moment.

Max snickered, "Oh, don't be like that," he gently punched Lyle in the shoulder, "We were just surprised, that's all," he explained, giving him a reassuring smile, "No need to get all flustered."

"I'm _not_ flustered!" Lyle argued.

“Whatever you say, Mr. Manager," Max shrugged, continuing on their walk to Melvin's house.

Lyle opened his mouth to protest further, but cut himself short as he felt Sean give him a light nudge in the side with his elbow. He turned to look at him, being greeted with a knowing smile.

"Come on, let's go see how Melvin is doing on his side adventure," Sean grabbed Lyle's arm and gently pulled him along, a grin on his face, "He probably needs our help slaying the dragon witch."

The blond sighed in defeat, a small smile pulling at his lips, "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, walking along with the two, "I'm going...”


End file.
